Snowden spying leaks prompt millions to protect data

[Dima007]

Content source

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30492826

Recent revelations about government-backed surveillance have prompted millions of people to do more to keep their data private, suggests a survey.

Many people now regularly change passwords or avoid certain websites or apps, said the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).

It also found that 64% of the 23,000 people questioned are more worried about their privacy than a year ago.

About 83% said affordable access to the internet should be a human right.

The survey asked people in 24 countries including the US, UK, Australia and China, about their attitudes to personal data privacy and whether the information released by Edward Snowden had led them to change their habits.

The survey revealed that Mr Snowden's name was known to 60% of respondents and of that group, 39% had done more to protect their privacy in response to the information his leaks have revealed.

Of those, compared with a year ago, more than one-third were updating their passwords more frequently and 43% were taking greater steps to avoid websites and software that might put their data at risk.

'Enormous impact'
The CIGI think tank undertook the survey as part of work for the Global Commission on Internet Governance which is looking into the different ways that the net can be overseen and run.

In a separate analysis of the CIGI survey, security expert Bruce Schneier, said the information about NSA and GCHQ surveillance programs was having an "enormous impact" on people's behaviour.

The CIGI figures suggest, he said, that more than 750 million people around the world have been prompted to take steps to avoid being watched by the NSA.

He added it was likely that the steps that people did take made little difference to the NSA's ability to gather data on them or to defy the surveillance techniques of large firms.

"But it is absolutely extraordinary that 750 million people are disturbed enough about their online privacy that they will represent to a survey-taker that they did something about it," he said.

 

[Tony Cole]

The problem is a) well it's true we need to protect our identity it has now gone too far, b) paedophiles and terrorists are now turning to the dark net and tor which enables them to carry out their acts undetected, if you have nothing to hide why worry. I agree with David Cameron (our Prime Minister) that GCHQ and MI5/MI6 should have the full power/abilities to police the internet and catch these evil people, who because of Edward Snowden now know how they can escape the law.

 

[DrySun]

The problem is a) well it's true we need to protect our identity it has now gone too far, b) paedophiles and terrorists are now turning to the dark net and tor which enables them to carry out their acts undetected, if you have nothing to hide why worry. I agree with David Cameron (our Prime Minister) that GCHQ and MI5/MI6 should have the full power/abilities to police the internet and catch these evil people, who because of Edward Snowden now know how they can escape the law.

This revelation was only a revelation for the general public. Those who were doing bad deeds already took these precautions. Maybe a few low brow criminals weren't using these methods before, but the criminals who are worth catching already use these technologies.

I believe the internet shouldn't be policed because we give up our human rights to do so.

 

[Tony Cole]

If we do not police the internet then terrorists and other criminals have the ability to do what they want, when the want. I personally get fed up when people keep on about their human rights - terrorists and paedophiles have NO human rights

 

[Vipersd]

First you need to answer the BIG question "why the terrorist exist at all", then worry that they will use better encryption or Tor, or something else. Solve the problem that causes terrorists to appear in the first place.

Why should anyone be harassed and bullied by their own government on the net because they chase bad guys? The problem that arises from this mess about surveillance is that people don't trust their own governments anymore. Who is policing the government on the rules how will they use the information they gathered and keep? Why is surveillance omnipresent and not targeted on bad guys?

To many questions and not so many answers.